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Retracted

A medical journal editor鈥檚 quest to find out if the data in research he had published was really 'too good to be true'.

In winter 2009 Steve Shafer, the editor-in-chief of a prestigious American medical journal, received some emails from readers saying the data in a study he had just published looked 'too good to be true'.

He thought there would be a simple explanation, so he contacted the doctor who had carried out the research. But he didn鈥檛 receive the straightforward response he was expecting.

Higher education journalist Rosa Ellis speaks to Steve Shafer to find out what happened next.
And she meets others who鈥檝e fought in the trench warfare of some of the most sensitive questions around scientific research and publishing.

Producer: Paul Martin
Sound design: Cathy Robinson
A 大象传媒 Audio Wales production for Radio 4

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42 minutes

Last on

Wed 7 Aug 2024 11:00

Broadcasts

  • Tue 6 Aug 2024 20:00
  • Wed 7 Aug 2024 11:00